Alright...hmmm I did school this week. I'm doing "fantastic," if you ask me! lol
Life can start to feel normal again...we're not traveling anywhere, we have Internet at the house, we have a church, and a house. I think I can finally say the Summer of '09 is over! It was long and hard...I think I learned a lot and am a better person now.
The farmers continue to harvest their crops. They go through and take the best stuff and then leave the rest to decompose and fertilize. That's great for their fields, but when the wind picks up it smells awful! I was out running and nearly threw up, it smelled so bad!
On the topic of running, I finally found a running route that the chances of dying aren't 50-50. I was used to in Texas just being able to run in whichever direction I liked and would have thousands of trails ect. to follow. It's not the case here. You have to run about 1 mile west to get to Oriosi and a safe route. And a 1/4 mile East till you reach the Shinto Shrine. You can either follow the route up passed the Shrine, but it is very scary and dangerous. If ever any of y'all visit, I'll show it to you. There are no shoulders on the farm roads, so you have to run on the road until you can find a side-walk. It's exciting to me, it's an adventure!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
I'm Back!
Alright...we're in the house, we have Internet, we are busy, and life is starting to have a bit of routine. The farmers have been real busy harvesting their second harvest of rice. They haven't had much luck with drying it though, it keeps raining.
Rice set out to dry
Arielle, Nolan, and I started piano lessons this week. I'm excited to try and learn it, and yes it is very manly! lol
Last week we started our Japanese lessons. We have a Japanese tutor, all is going well. She showed us the Hiragana alphabet (is it an alphabet, Mrs. Kim?). She showed us how to write our names in Katagana.
On Saturday night Arielle, Nolan, and I went to base to help out with an out reach. We set up booths with games, candy, hot apple cider, and hot-dogs, for the American and Japanese tricker-treaters. I didn't know the Japanese celebrated Halloween, but they probably just do it because they like to try American food. It was a lot of fun. I had a little bit of trouble communicating to the Japanese that we were handing out hot dogs. So I tried, "Dozo hot-dogo!" Eventually they figured it out!
Mom and I went to Homac (a Japanese Lowes). Outside was some Christmas stuff. The Japanese don't do Christmas, but are marketing towards Americans. I looked around, but all I saw was snowmen and Santa Clause, no Baby Jesus. I'll keep looking. I find it sad that those in America have marketed Christmas to the point that the main point is no longer the main point.
Oh, it also snowed yesterday. All of it melted, but it was exciting!
Rice set out to dry
Arielle, Nolan, and I started piano lessons this week. I'm excited to try and learn it, and yes it is very manly! lol
Last week we started our Japanese lessons. We have a Japanese tutor, all is going well. She showed us the Hiragana alphabet (is it an alphabet, Mrs. Kim?). She showed us how to write our names in Katagana.
On Saturday night Arielle, Nolan, and I went to base to help out with an out reach. We set up booths with games, candy, hot apple cider, and hot-dogs, for the American and Japanese tricker-treaters. I didn't know the Japanese celebrated Halloween, but they probably just do it because they like to try American food. It was a lot of fun. I had a little bit of trouble communicating to the Japanese that we were handing out hot dogs. So I tried, "Dozo hot-dogo!" Eventually they figured it out!
Mom and I went to Homac (a Japanese Lowes). Outside was some Christmas stuff. The Japanese don't do Christmas, but are marketing towards Americans. I looked around, but all I saw was snowmen and Santa Clause, no Baby Jesus. I'll keep looking. I find it sad that those in America have marketed Christmas to the point that the main point is no longer the main point.
Oh, it also snowed yesterday. All of it melted, but it was exciting!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Airshow
We went to the Airshow on base. It was a zoo trying to get on! Traffic was backed up from the base gate all of the to the DyDo vending machine...that is pretty far!
The Japanese-American ratio was like 200-1. It made this patriotic heart of mine proud to see "our boys," up in the air. I've been at lots of airshows. Sometimes I did important things like keep people from getting into an active prop, and sometimes less important things like getting heat stroke. But this was one of the better ones!
It was strange being able to see the flight line and have a great view, even from way in the back!
The plane went up, and did the artillery
Dude....
The Japanese were grilling this on one side of the road, while the Americans grilled hot dogs on the other!
The Japanese-American ratio was like 200-1. It made this patriotic heart of mine proud to see "our boys," up in the air. I've been at lots of airshows. Sometimes I did important things like keep people from getting into an active prop, and sometimes less important things like getting heat stroke. But this was one of the better ones!
It was strange being able to see the flight line and have a great view, even from way in the back!
The plane went up, and did the artillery
Dude....
The Japanese were grilling this on one side of the road, while the Americans grilled hot dogs on the other!
Hakkoda Mt
I went with the youth group on a hiking trip to Hakkoda Mountain, a volcano. At first it looks a lot like Alaska....
....But then after we were crammed into a ski-lift thingy I remembered we are in Japan! When the doors were open I had people running all over and pushing and shoving, I was sort of surprised really. The Japanese are so polite, next thing I knew I was having my head banged against those little black things hanging from the roof. At several points, during the mad rush to get off, I got separated. But seeing as it would be impossible to lose me in the crowd I wasn't to worried!
The view was absolutely amazing!
Sea of Japan
Aomori(sp?)
It was actually a volcano. Our guide, Mr. Simon took us to two craters. One of half of a crater, the other one was a perfectly round crater. Mr. Simon started to sing, "How great thou Art," when we reached the top, so we all joined in.
The Crater
There was a hot spring that we stopped to look at
The weather was really cold for someone leaving the warmer climates of TX, but it was a lot of fun. We split up at the first crater, only a few went on to the second crater, I went along to the second one. When we had all reached the bottom the second group told the first about the snow monkeys that attacked....oh yeah, no joke! lol
....But then after we were crammed into a ski-lift thingy I remembered we are in Japan! When the doors were open I had people running all over and pushing and shoving, I was sort of surprised really. The Japanese are so polite, next thing I knew I was having my head banged against those little black things hanging from the roof. At several points, during the mad rush to get off, I got separated. But seeing as it would be impossible to lose me in the crowd I wasn't to worried!
The view was absolutely amazing!
Sea of Japan
Aomori(sp?)
It was actually a volcano. Our guide, Mr. Simon took us to two craters. One of half of a crater, the other one was a perfectly round crater. Mr. Simon started to sing, "How great thou Art," when we reached the top, so we all joined in.
The Crater
There was a hot spring that we stopped to look at
The weather was really cold for someone leaving the warmer climates of TX, but it was a lot of fun. We split up at the first crater, only a few went on to the second crater, I went along to the second one. When we had all reached the bottom the second group told the first about the snow monkeys that attacked....oh yeah, no joke! lol
Adam-sahn
Did I mention the typhoon? I'm sure it has some other name, but I called it "Adam-sahn." I heard it was the very one that hit the Philippines. Nobody was hurt, we only got the edges. But man that was a lot of rain and wind!
Snapshot!
We've been working really hard getting moved into the house....it is starting to settle down. For a while I thought I was suffering from PTSD, but we're all good! It is so good to be in a house after so many months of being on the run.
I've got a schedule down and am keeping to it faithfully, Jamin would be so proud. My schedule is pretty tight, but I've been getting it done at an hour unheard of while in TX. I can still remember staying till 10-midnight working on stuff....good times.
I sat on the back porch this morning eating a hot bowl of oatmeal and enjoyed watching Japan come alive. I've been trying to find a running route that won't get me killed...a little bit hard. I don't know what it is, but I hate running during the day. I prefer to go at night. But there is no shoulder on these farm roads and so you have to actually run in the road.....which is very tense during the day. I went for a run last night through a neighboring sub division...I'm not sure what scares me more: a dark empty subdivision or a farmers road where you need to be able to jump into the irrigation ditch at the drop of a hat.
I've got a schedule down and am keeping to it faithfully, Jamin would be so proud. My schedule is pretty tight, but I've been getting it done at an hour unheard of while in TX. I can still remember staying till 10-midnight working on stuff....good times.
I sat on the back porch this morning eating a hot bowl of oatmeal and enjoyed watching Japan come alive. I've been trying to find a running route that won't get me killed...a little bit hard. I don't know what it is, but I hate running during the day. I prefer to go at night. But there is no shoulder on these farm roads and so you have to actually run in the road.....which is very tense during the day. I went for a run last night through a neighboring sub division...I'm not sure what scares me more: a dark empty subdivision or a farmers road where you need to be able to jump into the irrigation ditch at the drop of a hat.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Swan Park
We went and found the Swan Park. There was a really tall tower that we climbed. From the top we could see the ocean and much of the sou rounding area. It is moments like this that I realize just how big and awesome God really is.
I saw pictures of this tower when we first heard we were moving here, it was neat to actually see it myself.
Chaw's theme-song please...note the stir in the watter to the swan's right....that is a HUGE fish...carp?
I saw pictures of this tower when we first heard we were moving here, it was neat to actually see it myself.
Chaw's theme-song please...note the stir in the watter to the swan's right....that is a HUGE fish...carp?
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